Life, or something like it...

A Little bit of this, a little bit of that, will somebody please get me a Kit- Kat!

2010-03-23T09:37:00.018-04:00

Hey! How is everyone? Grand, I hope!

It's been a very long time since I last picked up my pencil almost a year, actually. It's not because I don't love to draw, I do, but see, I lost a lot of my art supplies and drawings in a fire I had last year, 2009. When things like that happen you lose a bit of yourself, I guess. Well, a few days ago I was going around the blogs I follow and one of my favorites is The Twirling Dragon. Kim has wonderful art and mostly she seems to draw the Human face and body, though she can draw just about anything. I, on the other hand, love drawing animals such as Dragons, lions, gorillas, and have only drawn the Human face twice(years and years ago) and never the human body. So, when I was over at Kim's blog I had this overwhelming desire to draw and try my hand at the human body, which I've never done before. A little nervous I got up and found me a mechanical pencil and a piece of white copy paper and started to draw my lil' one. Once I got started I realized how much I've missed drawing and the utter solitude it gives me. I completely zone out. By no means is my drawing perfect but I think it turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. I could definitely use more practice, and I'm sure you can tell I used my eraser quite a lot during the process, but now I'm super ready to start drawing again! And as soon as I have a little extra money I'll be heading to an art store to get me some real art supplies. :)
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I have decided to recommit my life to God. I started a new church about 3 months ago and I'm really loving it. The last time I went to church regularly and enjoyed it I'd have to say was when I was about 14 or 15. A church van used to come pick us kids up in front of our trailer park and take us to church every Sunday morning and Wednesday night, but at around the age of 16 or 17 I lost my way and started struggling with my faith. One Sunday morning, about 3 months ago, I woke up and decided its time to make a change and give my woes to the lord. It's been a hard couple of years for us and I had a lot of woes to lay down, but I did. I have not only started going to church on Sunday mornings, but Friday nights "Road to Recovery" and I've volunteered for many church activities, as well. It's been an amazing ride so far and has really opened my heart to the lord and his blessings. Miracles can happen.

Great Song! Love it.(Logan I think you'll really like it :)

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Finished reading a couple books over the past few weeks The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin and Bite Me by Parker Blue. Both books I enjoyed and highly recommend. Then, this week I'll be starting The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu and also Before They are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie

Also you can enter to win a SINGED Copy of The Name Of Wind by Patrick Rothfuss over at Rememorandom Awesome book, too, so everyone should enter!:)

Well, I guess thats about it for today and I hope you all have a fantastic week!! :)

Thanks for reading, Krista!

Saying goodbye to Winter and hello to Spring...

2010-03-13T18:52:00.029-05:00

Just a short lil' post to share a few Winter pictures and this very pretty "Winter Song"!! :)

I had a wonderful winter this year, because I'm one of the many who really enjoys a good snowfall! Yep, that's right, this year it snowed at the beach! I coudn't believe it! The snow was super fun to play in and absolutely beautiful. However, I am completely ready to say hello to warmer weather, as you can tell from my new header picture I took on a Warm Spring Day! Oh, how I have missed you, my shorts and flip flops! :)

Tennessee Snow! The first snowfall we got to play in this year! So cute!

My lil' Miss Aubriannah loved the snow especially eating it! lol. We were staying in Aberdeen with my Aunt Darlene when it snowed ice and realized we had forgotten her mittens, so we made homemade ones--a pair of socks with plastic baggies taped around them. It worked like a charm, too! Ha-ha! :D

Yep, the first snowfall here at the beach in ten years and everyone of us EXCITED, as you can see! Ha-ha!

Ha-ha, That's my Daddy! Yes, that snowball is meant for me! Him and my lil' brother(up there on the top porch) totally ganged up on me so every time I looked up I had another snowball hitting me in the face! I was totally soaked by the time we went inside to warm up I had to change all my clothes! LOL! It goes to show that you're never too old to play in the snow and have tons o' fun!

And last, but definitely not least, our beautiful Slanted Snowman and his awesome Snow-Hat!!! LOL!

I had tons of fun this year with all the many snowfalls I got to experience, but I am so ready to say goodbye to you my friend Winter and Hello to you Spring!!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed your winter, too! :)

Krista

The Road to old memories...

2010-03-09T12:41:00.005-05:00

As I sit here contemplating what exactly I should write I can feel the nights chill vibrate through me, it runs up my spine and sends goosebumps down my arms. I love night and all the mystery it brings. The cool fresh air, the many sounds; night creatures you cannot see, the whirl of leaves as the wind picks them up to carry them off to a new home, and the noise that sounds so much like absolute silence. Everything is louder at night, because when darkness engulfs around you it seems to bring a kind of silence with it. Not too many are awake at this hour. Their all safe in their warm beds doing what I love most and often do, dream. Dreaming is a passion of mine. I daydream often and I almost always have dreams while sleeping.

Memories seem a lot like dreaming to me. Remembering those times on the playground swinging by your knees upside down on the monkey bars. You don't realize how wonderful that feeling truly was until you're older and trying desperately to do it again, and just the slightest pressure on the back of your knees sends you screaming in pain. Dreaming about how limber you once were when you could climb up trees like one of the monkeys. So fast, so easy. My fondest memories are of when I was a child, as I hope most peoples are.

I can remember vividly as far back as about 4 or 5 maybe even younger. It's hard to know how old you are in your own visions of the past. It seems funny to me how our minds and memories work. For me, I can't remember everything I've ever done, learned, or read, but I try and soak up as much as I possibly can, more so now then when I was a teen. Mostly I remember my most fun, most horrid, and most intimate memories the best.

My favorite memories are of my childhood in a house I came to love. We didn't have a lot of money growing up, so we lived in an old one story pinkish color house with a worn porch, and weak broken windows covered with a thick plastic and duck-tape--the tape for men. Those things though didn't really matter much to a child because our front-yard was big and our backyard was vast and endlessly full of trees. I loved those days playing hide-and-seek in the woods. I love to run and I was the best at climbing trees so not many could catch me. It was fun and exhilarating being so high up when you're so small. Its strange how you could find yourself deep within the woods in a matter of minutes and still we always seemed to find our way home, though every tree looked the same. The adventures we had were endless. Pirates, soldiers, princesses, kings, ninjas, ninja turtles, and I could go on and on I'm sure. I grew up with two brothers and our next door neighbors were boys, so I was pretty much a tomboy from the get go. There was nothing they could do that I wouldn't try or do myself, even when they said, "No way, you're a girl!" I remember the boys next door had a treehouse and because I was girl there was no way they were letting me up there, and in an 'all boys clubhouse' at that. I would try climbing up the wood planks but they had ammo, pine-combs. They definitely hurt, so ultimately I would give up and go do my on thing like finding frogs, or climbing on things like my playhouse or the shed just so I could jump off. Eventually, the boys would get bored in their "all boy clubhouse" and come join me. It's amusing how that works. Boys are weird for sure.

I still love that pinkish worn down house and those woods. I had my first kiss there, my first set of stitches, and I played my first and last game of beebee gun tag, but those are stories for another time...

Once again, Thank you all for reading.

Krista

Books to Movies...

2010-03-03T08:00:00.007-05:00

Went to see The Lightening Thief this past weekend and I thought it was a really good movie. I enjoyed it. I've heard up and down reviews, though, and the downs seem to be the ones who have read the book first. I did not read the book and I really enjoyed the movie. Some of the plot seems to have been recycled from other stories and or movies before it, but it was still pleasant to watch. What I'm wondering though is... Do you like to read the book first or vise versa? I mean, it seems I come away disappointed no matter which way I go. See, if I see the movie first, I tend to put the book to the bottom of my to read list, and then when I do end up reading the book the story can sometimes be a bore because I know around about what's going to happen. But, if I read the book first, I seem to be disappointed with what they left out, or didn't interpret the overall story in the same way I had it played out in my mind while reading. It seems to be a lose-lose situation for me, however, I think I enjoy reading the book first so the movie doesn't ruin an otherwise wonderful story. What about you?

I'm even looking forward to watching Shutter Island, but I just can't decide whether I should run out and read the book first! What a dilemma! lol. I just adore Leo, though. He is totally my dream guy. ~heart flutters~

Anyway, I'm headed to the book store today (love that place ha-ha) and I'm hoping to pick up The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin so I can join in on the Barnes and Nobles book club discussion with the author here and anyone is more than welcome to join in. Yes, even you! (hint, hint, wink, wink, lol). Really looking forward to this book. Love the cover, by the way. I have always been a sucker for fantastic cover art or just art in general really. However, the cover does remind me of The Never Ending Stories castle in the movie... Does it not? o.O

Once again, Thanks for Reading! Next Post more in the Life of Krista, ha-ha! :)

Living up to my title: Life or Something Like It...

2010-02-28T00:40:00.017-05:00

When I first started this blog I had no idea where I was going with it. I didn't really know what to write about and if people really wanted to hear all about my actual life. The only thing I did know was that I was absolutely IN LOVE with books, so this blog became a book blog. Which by no means is a bad thing; I love books and book blogs. But, well, I'd like to share some of my intimate feelings with you and live up to my title now: Life or Something Like It... So if you're looking for a book review or just a post about books I'd say turn back now, 'cause today I'll be sharing a little bit of My Life or I guess you could say, what happens to be in my noggin... lol :D

So where do I even begin?

Hmmm, it may be a little morbid for some of you but I think I'll start with my first real experience with death. You may be wondering why I said "Real" death? What I mean is, it's the first time I've had someone I knew well and loved dearly pass away. Death is never an easy thing, though, no matter what. So let’s start at the beginning shall we...

I got a call early morning on December 16 from my mom she was crying so hard she could barely speak, she whimpered in the phone to me, " David passed away this morning..." I replied in total shock, "What? What do you mean David passed away?" Some of you may not know, but my little brothers name is David, so automatically the first person I thought of was him. Then my mother whimpered again, "David S*** passed away this morning." It was heartbreaking for sure, but I couldn't help myself when I sighed in relief that it wasn't my little brother David named after my Uncle David. Then total shock hit. I didn't cry right away. I wasn't really sure I believed it, you know, because I had just seen him at my little girls’ 2nd birthday party. Hugged him, told him I loved him, thanks for coming and I'd see him again soon. It was a surreal experience to get that phone call. We packed us up a bag that day and headed down to my Aunt Darlene's house to comfort her in her time of loss. You see, they've been together for 28 years, and 6 months before he died they found out he had brain cancer, but that doesn't mean his death didn't come as a surprise to everyone. See my Aunt Darlene and David's daughter had seen him through what they thought was going to be the hardest part, David's brain surgery. At the time of his surgery they felt they were ready for the worst but David pulled through it. He was a strong man, a fighter, but as you may know cancer can really break a person down and work its magic through your veins. His heart gave out in the ambulance on his way to the hospital the morning of December 16, 2009.

I can't describe how his wife must have felt and is still feeling, but I can tell you how it made me feel. When I first walked into her house and David wasn't there it really hit me hard that I would never again get picked on or get one of his famous loving Bear Hugs. He was David, and he was gone. My heart was breaking and not just for myself but for my Aunt Darlene and his family, too. That Sunday was his funeral and I remember the feeling I had most-LOVE. Love for David, for all his family and friends, for my family and friends. I just wanted to hug everyone and make sure they all knew how much I really loved them no matter if I didn't know them all that well or not. I was seriously bursting with love and tears. That night, I believe, or maybe the next night, we went out to eat and still I had the "need" to hug and say I love you to my other aunts and uncles that I see all the time but never really have that intimate moment with. Then a few weeks later came Christmas morning at my grandmas house with my close family. I remember I had that same loving feeling. I ended up being the only one, that as soon as I came in, to give a hug to every person that was there. I was happy to be there with them, and I'm pretty sure they knew at that moment I really loved them. So, for me, with death came love.

In loving memory of my Dear Friend and Uncle David may you rest in Peace.

{Edited March 1, 2010} I just wanted to add a quote and this here song. Love it.

As for the quote; "Sometimes it takes a funeral to see how blessed we are to have life."

Thank you all for taking the time to read! :)

Books read in 2009 :) And Skiing fun!

2010-01-11T16:33:00.004-05:00

So I thought it'd be cool to write down all the books I've read this year, 2009, in no particular order. :)

FANTASY-- SCIENCE FICTION:
1.Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
2.The Well Of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
3.The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
4.Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
5.Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
6. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
7.Lamentation by Ken Scholes
8. Canticle by Ken Scholes
9. Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
10. Discworld Graphic novel-- The Colour Of Magic by Terry Pratchett
11. Discworld Graphic novel-- The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett
12.Unclean Spirits by M.L.N. Hanover
13.The Sword Of Shannara by Terry Brooks
14. Of The Forest by Juliet Marillier
15. Legend Of Singurd & Gudrun by J.R.R. Tolkien
16.The Children of Húrin by J.R.R. Tolkien
17.One Second After by William R. Forstchen
18.A Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
19.The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
20.The Host by Stephenie Meyer
21.Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory
22.The Strain by Guillermo DelToro and Chuck Hogan
23.Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith
24.Street Magic by Caitlin Kittredge
25.Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells
26.Touch the Dark by Karen Chance
27.Claimed by Shadow by Karen Chance
28.Embrace the Night by Karen Chance
29.Curse The Dawn by Karen Chance
30.Midnight's Daughter by Karen Chance
31.Unclean Spirits by M.L.N. Hanover
32.Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

ROMANCE
33.Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
34.Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
35.Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
36.Magic Study byMaria V. Snyder
37.Fire Study byMaria V. Snyder

CHILDREN (9 &up)
38.Coraline by Neil Gaiman
39.The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
40.The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
41.The Golem's Eye by Jonathan Stroud
42.Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud
43.Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkien

MYSTERY
44.And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
45.Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

YOUNG ADULT
46.The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
47.Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
48.Pastworld by Ian Beck
49.Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier
50. Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
51.The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti
52.The Naming by Alison Croggon
53.The Riddle by Alison Croggon
54.The Crow by Alison Croggon
55.The Singing by Alison Croggon
56.Graceling by Kristin Cashore
57.Fire by Kristin Cashore
58.Legacy by (16 year old) Cayla Kluver
59.The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
60.Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
61.Rebel Angels by Libba Bray
62.A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
63.Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
64.City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
65.City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
66.City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
67.Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
68.New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
69. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
70.Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
71.Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

So yeah, I know I haven't been around lately to visit all my favorite blogs so sorry guys you are all awesome and I will try my very best to be a better follower! :)

Things have just been quite crazy around here with all the holidays and work. I also just got back from a week long Vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, which was so very cool. I had a lot of fun and had many new experiences!

Went skiing for the first time ever, and I tell you, it was so much fun! It was my two brothers, my lil' brothers girlfriend, and me. All of us newbies, and, of course, we were all way too cool to take skiing lessons. lol. Well, we were all in the practice area trying to figure out what we were doing and how these big boots and skis worked. It was pretty easy to get going, turn, head down the small hill, and slide to a stop at the bottom, right. Yeah, so after I, and seriously only me, actually slid down the hill a few times I was so ready to go up the lift! I asked my brothers if they were ready and they said " Heck no, are you crazy!" lol, and all of them were seriously too chicken to go up at all! I couldn't believe it, so I just went on my own. I got in line for the lift, let it take me to the top of the Newbie section, which is still pretty high up there if I do say so myself, and then I got off. So now there's only one way down.... I went for it, I got around the first curve, then the second one, and here I come down this crazy amazing hill and I'm flying! But then all you can see are tons of people just standing at the bottom TALKING with their skis and snowboards on, and I felt like they were yelling at me saying, "Come on, I dare you to hit me in the back!" lol. So yeah, I'm flying down this huge hill trying my best to slow down and hopping I stop before I hit a few people. Well, stopping ends up to be a pretty easy task to do when you completely bomb out at the bottom! At least I had a few feet to spare before I hit anyone, however, I can't say the same for my skis! Hey, falling stopped me, but it didn't stop me from wanting to go back up that lift again and again to feel that awesome rush, and me and the snow becoming one. :) After my first time down My brother and his girlfriend saw the whole thing, of course, and still they weren't so sure until I got up and said "WHOA, that was so much fun!! I'm so going again!!!" I guess once they seen me, their sister, making it down okay and alive they felt they could brave it out. :) My lil' brother didn't even fall once!!!(he was going down like a granny, though, I'd say!) ha-ha. The only way I knew how to stop was by falling!lol. Man, I had so much fun till I twisted my ankle! It hurt, but I said whatever, and went SNOW TUBING! Now that was awesome, too!!!

So who wants to hear about my first Horse Back Riding Experience????

Review: Pastworld by Ian Beck

2009-11-03T03:00:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a long time coming, so without further ado, I give you my review for Pastworld By Ian Beck!

My review and thoughts:
Imagine London in a huge dome of sorts where all civilization is reproduced in the Victorian age, while the outside world is in the year 2048. Not only is London living in the past, but it's know as the Pastworld Theme Park for all the outside world. Tourists, also know as the Gawkers, come from all over the world as they pay big money to live the life of a Victorian, and enjoy the many entertainments of Pastworld.

Eve, a girl who's only known the life of London as it is-horse run carriages, harsh laws, gas lamps, and old buildings-decides to set out in the streets of Pastworld on her own. As she does she's met with the realization of what her home really is--a theme park, and money maker for the man in charge. Not only does she have to reassess her home, but herself as well.

Caleb, a boy from the outside world, brought to Pastworld by his father on Halloween, is left awe struck by how fascinating everything around him really is. But soon enough, when he sees his face on wanted posters for a murder he didn't commit, he's all but ready to return to his strict home life in the outside world.

But this seems to be the least of Eve's and Caleb's problems when the most dangerous and biggest attraction of Pastworld decides to show his face and destruction once again. They call him, The Fantom....

Intricate, compelling, and one masterfully told story. Pastworld is a place where many haunting worries are hiding in the streets, and around the darkest of corners. There is much adventure to be had, and many fun , interesting, and spooky characters to follow. You will find romance, friends, thieves, and many shocking murder mysteries to witness in the streets of Pastworld. This was definitely a page turner for me to the very end, and I find myself recommending it to you all! :)

:) More about Pastworld here :) I will also leave you with the trailer for the book below. It's pretty cool, if I do say so myself! Enjoy, and have a wonderful day every one :)

(Off topic---Man, it's been awhile since I last posted, but in my defence it's been crazy around here :) Also, with the way life is going right now the best time it seems for me to post will be on the weekends... What can I say, I'm a reader of all your blogs and I love it! How you guys keep up with posts and comments I'll never know! You're all awesome!)

Sharin' the Fun!!

2009-11-02T06:40:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd share some of the pictures and fun we had!!! I hope everyone else had a wonderful Halloween too! Halloween was tons of fun for us and I even had two costumes for Little Miss Aubriannah.

Ah, My Little Miss Snow White :) She was Snow White for the Trick Or Treating part of the day, and boy did she have fun! She couldn't keep her little fingers out of her candy, lol!

Here is Aubriannah in her Pirate costume getting ready to head to the Fair, which was tons of fun! :)

"Why so serious?" lol! :) My little Pirate ridding a Pony all by herself!

My little Pirate's first time ridding a ride ALL by herself! She was so serious on all the rides, I think, because she was a little nervous about falling off, lol! :)

This was taken a few days before Halloween with her Pumpkin. She really enjoyed carving them. :)

Ah, so sweet! My little knuckle heads!

Well, that's all she wrote, Folks! I hope you enjoyed them and your Halloween! :)

Happy Halloween!! Who's it gonna be....

2009-10-31T08:30:00.007-04:00

Man, that picture is so cool! :)

It's time to announce my very first giveaways winners!! I had four awesome books to giveaway to four awesome bloggers, so who's it gonna be.... I used the Random Name Picker at Classtools.net, so without further ado I give you my Halloween Winners!

Drum Roll Please.........

The Winner of Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson is

David Wagner

The winner of Lamentation by Ken Scholes is

Logankstewart

The winner of The Naming By Alison Croggon is

Michelle (Red Headed Book Child)

And the winner of Pastworld by Ian Beck is

Ryan G.

Yay! Congrats to all the Winners! I have a busy day today (we're going to the fair and Trick or Treating, of course! :), but I will make sure and email each of you before the day is over!

Happy Halloween to you all!

FireFlies and Randomness...

2009-10-11T13:12:00.029-04:00

So tonight's post is brought to you by Fireflies! (Book stuff and links are at the bottom for those who want to skip my Randomness for the day....)

( I love music you can sing along too.... Not that I'm saying I'm any good at it! lol! :)

Wow, right! *Sigh* I love it! For those of us who love our dreams and fantasy worlds this song speaks volumes. I'm sure different music affects people in many different ways, though. His voice is so amazingly soothing, when I close my eyes I feel as though I'm eight, maybe younger, maybe older, running around trying to catch fireflies in a jar.

Favorite quote:

" 'Cause I get a thousand hugs

From ten thousand lightening bugs

As they try and teach me how to dance"

Fireflies are amazing in their own right, so it'd be something marvelous to see and feel, indeed. Ah, the joy of dreaming....

If you haven't already noticed, I really feel that today I'm all up for a blog post that has only a little to do with books, so this is my attempt at randomness, or lack there of ...

So, as many of my faithful followers know I've moved into a new house, a wonderful house, I might add. My favorite part about my new house is our Huge fenced in backyard. It's not only my favorite part, but my little girls and her puppies(Eskimo Spitz, Nala and a Husky, Roxie) , too. You should see them run around! CRAZINESS! It's very amusing and nice. Now the only problem left is figuring out where everything will go and what junk I need to ditch. Okay, okay, I admit it, I'm a pack rat, and no, I don't mean the actual pack rat! LOL! It's so hard to just throw things out. You end up losing or breaking so many things over the years anyway, right? I have so much stuff that I "could" get rid of, but how do I know what exactly to ditch? That, my friend, is why I'm a pack rat! I'm just thankful it's NOT the overbearing kind of pack ratness..LOL! It's definitely not that bad it's just too many boxes in the garage. I'm also a big Book Hoarder! Now I just need more bookshelves (Peter I'll let you know.... :)

On other news, my little girl is getting WAY too big for her own good! Her birthday is just around the corner, she'll be 2 on November 17th. Can you believe it? It feels as though just yesterday I was in the hospital holding her for the first time. Where has the time gone? Being a mother can be hard business, but it's all worth it! The smiles and laughs you get by the simplest of things is most definitely my favorite part about being a mother. Not to mention all the smiles and laughs she gets from me. Anyway, her favorite word right now is Apple. I never thought a word could be so cute! She loves to dance, especially to Hannah Montana or The Backyardigans. I am very serious, we have the Hannah Montana movie sound track CD in our car and we have to listen to it always. She really does get down to the music in her Car seat, and sometimes you can even catch her trying to sing. It's lovely. Kids are most definitely Gods gift to us.

Okay, now onto book news. Lets start with books I've finished over the past couple weeks that I haven't been able to write reviews for yet. Sorry, moving is tough work! :)

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins- All I can say is Awesomeness! If you are up for solid characters, great action, and crazy plot twists, then I would highly recommend you pick this one up! Anyway, here are a couple Blogger friends reviews for this title, Melissa @ My World and JuJu @ A Tales of Whimsy...

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie-- The first book in the First Law Trilogy-- Wow! It was one heck of a ride. This book was basically just the set up for a new world and well rounded, fantastic characters. Not to mention all the fight scenes that will leave your mouth hanging open. One thing I will say is The Blade Itself is definitely not a book for the feint of heart. Anyway, here are a few blogging buddies who have done wonderful reviews for this title, Melissa @ My World, Logan @ Rememorandom, and Alec @ Only The Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy.

:):):)

PastWorld by Ian Beck-- Wow, it was such an experience hanging out in the amusement park of London! I don't want to say too much about this one as I will be doing a review as soon as I am able. You can also enter my giveaway to win a Hardcover copy of it here!

Now onto books I am reading and want to read over the next few weeks....

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines -- Many thanks to J. Kaye @ J. Kaye's Book Blog for this ARC! Just started this one and so far so good.

Dune by Frank Herbert-- Many thanks to Alec @ Only The Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy for producing such a fantastic review that I just had to pick this one up. I'm really looking forward to starting this title.

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice-- Many thanks to Deb @ Bookmagic for recommending this title.

And last, but not least, Embellish by R.L. Sloan -- Many thanks to R.L. Sloan for this review copy. I'm definitely hoping it's as good as it sounds!

(If you have a link to reviews for any of these titles, and I missed you, then feel free to leave the link to your review in the comment section.)

Well, that's it! Krista's Randomness 101! Hope you enjoyed it! If your in the mood for more and more Awesome Randomness, then I highly suggest you check out David's blog @ My Little Corner of the World.

Don't forget on your way out the door to check out all the wonderful blogs and the many reviews I mentioned! They're Great!

Teaser Tuesdays--Catching Fire

2009-10-06T12:13:00.004-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
Here is how it works.

Grab your current read

Open to a random page Share 2 or 3 “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm just now getting around to starting Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins! So far it's great, I might add!

"If a pack of wild dogs were to appear at this moment, the odds of scaling a tree before they attacked are not in my favor. I should get up, move around, and work the stiffness from my limbs." pg. 3

So there you have it, my Teaser Tuesday! Now it's your turn! What are you reading and have any quotes caught your attention more than the next...?

2009- My Top Favorites- Giveaway!!

2009-10-01T15:32:00.021-04:00

I thought that since this is the 1st of October I'd get my FIRST contest up and running..... 4 books, 4 winners!!!!

This giveaway is going to consist of four books I've read over this year-2009- that have been some of MY favorites! What better way to get your favorites and favorite authors out there, then by giving one away?

Here are my four favorite reads so far this year.... In order of most enjoyable for ME...

My favorite read so far this year has been Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson! View my review and book synopsis here.

Lamentation by Ken Scholes is the first book in The Psalms of Isaak series, wonderful read! View Synopsis here.

The Naming is the 1st book of the Pellinor series by Alison Croggon. I loved this whole series! And Guess what? If you happen to have this book and are missing one of the other three, no worries, I'll send you which ever book you are missing....

I just finished reading Pastworld by Ian Beck and I must say it rocked! I haven't read any other books by him before now, but I'm sure to go and find more of his titles now!

To Enter:
US and Canada only- sorry!

All you have to do to enter my giveaway is leave the title of the book you would like to win and your email address so I can contact you.

Extra Entries:
+2 New followers
+3 Old followers
+4 Linking this contest to sidebar, Twitter, blog post. (Include links please!)

This contest will end on Halloween(BOO!) October 31st! I will email the winners (a winner for each book) and they will have 72 hours to contact me with their shipping info or a new winner will be chosen! I wish you all the best of luck!

Moving and First Giveaway Info....

2009-09-24T13:55:00.012-04:00

Hello fellow followers! I just wanted to let you all know that over the next week or so I'll be moving into a new house. What does this mean, you ask? Well, my Internet and computer access will be on hold for awhile. :-( Alas, no new posts, and sorry to say, but I won't be able to comment much either.... Very sad, indeed! Don't worry, though, I'll be back soon enough to stalk you all!

But hey, with bad news comes good news, right? Or, at least, that's how it should be! So, I am as happy as this little puppy to announce that I have decided when I get back I'll be having my very first and 60 follower giveaway! Woot! Woot! That will be something to look forward to, right? I haven't decided what exactly this giveaway will contain, so I'm up for any and all advice if you have it?

Have a great Week all! Stay cool!

Book Review: Oh. My. Gods.

2009-09-21T09:07:00.018-04:00

Which one? They both seem to fit the book perfectly, but being the girlie girl I am, I have to say I like the wing sneakers best (the one I bought..LOL!)! Both are very fun covers, though!

Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Genre(s): YA, Fantasy
Publisher: The Penguin Group
Publication date: May 2008

Recommended? Yes, especially to those looking for a good run!
Reread? For sure, this was such a fun read, so I don't see why not!

My Review:
Phoebe Castro has just crossed the finish line in hopes of making all her dreams come true--a chance at the full track scholarship to USC with her best friends, Nola and Cesca. Little does she know her Mom's waiting at the finish line with news that could destroy all these plans. Her Mom has decided to marry a man Phoebe has never meet before and move them across the world to Greece. But this is the least of her problems. She finds herself on a secretive Island known as Aegean and attending the elite Academy, run by her stepfather, full of students that are anything BUT normal--they're descendants of the Greek Gods, where superpowers are a given. Not to mention the fact they're not fond of mundanes and want to make her time at the Academy total pandemonium! How can she possibly win the race to total freedom?......

I went into this book looking for something really fun, laid back, and entertaining and I was highly rewarded with this tale. This was such a fun book to read! Phoebe, the narrator, is a really fun character who seems to be able to handle herself quite well. She may have a few bullies, but there's no way she's going down without a fight! She even has the guts to go after Griffin, descendant of Hercules, and the boyfriend of her arch enemy!

The story line is very entertaining and at times I found myself laughing-out-loud. Oh. My. Gods. is definitely a book that could really help anyone get out of a funky mood, that's for sure! I recommend this book if you're looking for a good laugh, a fan of Greek mythology, want to reminisce on old high school days, and especially to those that love the feel of a good run: "the steady rhythm of my sneakers hitting the ground, the adrenaline and endorphins pulsing through my bloodstream, the cotton of my PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY tee rubbing against my skin with every step." ( Favorite Oh. My. Gods. quote)

Other Favorite quotes:
"wondering what Plato meant when he said, We can easily forgive a child who is scared of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light."

"You," I say, leaning in and giving him a peck on the cheek, "are a rock star in coward's clothing."

My Rating: 4/5 Wonderfully fun!!!

Thanks to JuJu at Tales of whimsy.... for recommending this book! She has tons of great book reviews!

(All comments welcome!)

Teaser Tuesday.....

2009-09-15T09:27:00.004-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Here is how it works.
Grab your current read
Open to a random page Share two (2 or 3) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm reading The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

If Logen had been the one clinging to Shanka's foot, he would most likely have thought, "My life depends on this leg I'm hanging from--best not take my chances." A man would rather save himself than kill his enemy. Trouble was that the Shanka didn't think that way, and Logen knew it.

Awards, you say!

2009-09-14T19:57:00.007-04:00

I received this award from my dear friend Melissa at My world! Thank you, Mel! Be sure to check her blog out it's pure awesomeness!

This award is designed with one purpose in mind. Pass this on to other bloggers who have awarded you in the past.

I would love to say thanks to all you awesome bloggers who have presented me with wonderful awards! I haven't been able to pass on and say thanks for a few awards I have been given by very dear friends and wonderful bloggers lately due to a busy schedule, so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to say thanks!

Jessica at A BookLover's Diary

Michelle at The Book Addict

Teddyree at The Eclectic Reader

Sara at My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale!

Alexia at Alexia's Books and Such...

Deb at Bookmagic

Froggy at Froggaritaville's Bookcase

Ryan at Wordsmithonia

Alyssa, Gregory and the Gang at Teens Read and Write

Thank you all very much! And If you haven't been by these blogs please visit them all, they're all very wonderful blogs that I enjoy every day!

A Special Thanks....

2009-09-12T10:53:00.007-04:00

I just wanted to say Thank you to all of you awesome followers that sent an email to Maria for me! I just received an Email saying she is sending me a signed copy of Storm Glass today, how exciting!! So, expect a picture and a review sometime soon! You guys rock!!!!

Storm Glass

From Amazon.com:
As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers—particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade—require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap in to a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance—including her own—Opal must control powers she hadn't known she possessed…powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

(Thank you so much!!!!!)

I have a favor to ask, please!

2009-09-09T12:13:00.000-04:00

Hi guys! I'm going to ask a very special favor of 5(or more) of you. I am absolutely dying to read Maria Synder's book - Storm Glass - and I can get a signed copy of it from Maria, if five of you email her telling her that Krista from Life or Something Like It... chatted up her books with you.

Maria has this great referral program that anyone can participate in. You just have to talk to FIVE people about her books and then have them send an email to her saying you did. You get to pick one of her books and she'll send it to you signed! How cool is that?

Check it out on Maria's website.

Her email is maria@mariavsnyder.com

Please, Let me know in a comment below if you're willing to do this for me! Thanks! And, if you haven't heard about her books, here's a little bit about them:

The Study Series - consists of Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study.

Poison Study

From Publishers Weekly.

Shivers, obsession, sleepless nights—these are the results not of one of the milder poisons that novice food-taster Yelena must learn during her harrowing job training but of newcomer Snyder's riveting fantasy that unites the intelligent political focus of George R.R. Martin with a subtle yet potent romance. Through a stroke of luck, Yelena escapes execution in exchange for tasting the food of the Commander, ruler of Ixia. Though confined to a dank prison cell and doomed to a painful death, Yelena slowly blooms again, caught up in castle politics. But some people are too impatient to wait for poison to finish off Yelena. With the help of Valek, her steely-nerved, cool-eyed boss and the Commander's head of security, she soon discovers that she has a starring role to play in Ixia's future—a role that could lead to her being put to death as a budding magician even if she hits each cue perfectly. The first in a series, this is one of those rare books that will keep readers dreaming long after they've read it.

Magic Study

From Publishers Weekly.

Family betrayal, a power-mad serial killer and a potential diplomatic crisis threaten the independent-minded heroine of Snyder's fine sequel to Poison Study (2005). With the overthrow of the royal family of Ixia, 20-year-old Yelena Zaltana, who was kidnapped as a child by the evil magician Mogkan, is now free to return home to Sitia. Her reunion with the family she hasn't seen in 14 years palls when her brother spreads rumors she's actually a spy from Ixia. At the Magician's Citadel, where Yelena enrolls to hone her prodigious magical talents, her powers raise concern that she might be a rare, powerful Soulfinder. Then a string of ugly murders reveals the presence of a rogue magician in the area. As Yelena joins the hunt for the killer, complications grow with the arrival of a diplomatic mission from Ixia—including her lover, Valek, a notorious spy and assassin, sure to be executed if anyone sees through his disguise. Snyder's lively, charming mix of romance and fantasy is sure to gain her new fans.

Fire Study
From Publishers Weekly
Fans of high-spirited adventure, intrigue and romance will celebrate the third book (after 2007's Magic Study) in the saga of reluctant mage and diplomat Yelena Zaltana. The news that Yelena is a Soulfinder, able to manipulate the spirits of the dead and the living, hasn't made her popular with the inhabitants of Sitia's Magician's Keep, since the last Soulfinder turned people into mindless slaves. First Magician Roze Featherstone's hostility toward Yelena increases until the Sitian Council decides to send Yelena north as diplomatic liaison to the rival nation of Ixia. When Roze takes over the council, imprisoning her rivals and driving the nation to the brink of war with Ixia, Yelena is caught between her duties as liaison, her love for Ixian intelligence officer Valek and her fear of her own power, which she must embrace fully to defeat Roze and restore the council. Snyder delivers another excellent adventure, deftly balancing international and local hostilities against Yelena's personal struggles.Glass series: Storm Glass and Sea Glass

These next two books are from Maria's newest series.

Storm Glass

From Amazon.com:

As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers—particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade—require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap in to a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance—including her own—Opal must control powers she hadn't known she possessed…powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

Sea Glass
Student glass magician Opal Cowan's newfound ability to steal a magician's powers makes her too powerful. Ordered to house arrest by the Council, Opal dares defy them, traveling to the Moon Clan's lands in search of Ulrick, the man she thinks she loves. Thinks because she is sure another man now her prisoner has switched souls with Ulrick.In hostile territory, without proof or allies, Opal isn't sure whom to trust. She can't forget Kade, the handsome Stormdancer who doesn't want to let her get close. And now everyone is after Opal's special powers for their own deadly gain....

(Thank you so much, guys!)

Book Review: Legacy!

2009-09-08T09:03:00.000-04:00

Author: Cayla Kluver
Genre(s): YA, Fantasy
Publisher:AmazonEncore
Publication date: August 18, 2009

Recommended? Yes, anyone looking for a good Historical Romance.

My Review:

Legacy is a tale narrated by Princess Alera in the unbearable position of an arranged marriage by her father, King of Hytanica, to the egotistical and irascible man known as Steldor. Alera finds herself in the position to defy her father when Narnia, a secretive boy from Cokyri, is brought before her father as an enemy. While trying to find a way out of this potential marriage, a century old war erupts between Hytanica, her home land, and the kingdom of Cokyri. Heroine Alera now must chose between becoming Queen of her homeland, or her hearts true love.....

Legacy is the first book in a trilogy written by the young author of 16, Cayla Kluver. This story is very much a romance with fun characters that all have their own unique personality's. Kluver has done a wonderful job with the plot of her story and keeps you engaged and wondering what will happen next. We are left with a cliffhanger ending, which leaves you stupefied and ready for book 2, Allegiance. While I really enjoyed Legacy there was one downside. Kluver's writing, while good, was lacking and over descriptive at times to where I found myself skimming over useless information. But as a first novel (not to mention her age) I think she did an exceptionally good job and has tons of room to grow into a wonderful author! I'll be looking froward to continuing this series.

My Rating: 3.5/5 Very good

About Author:

Cayla wrote the first draft of Legacy during her sophomore year in public high school. She then worked very hard to combine her junior and senior years so she could graduate early. She completed the first draft of Allegiance, which continues the story begun in Legacy, the following year. She is sixteen years old, and lives with her family and her muse (Nina, her cat) in Wisconsin, where only the hardy survive. Legacy is her first novel. The first edition of Legacy won first place in the 2008 Reader Views Literary Awards, and a bronze medal in 2008 Moonbeam Children's Book Award for young adults.

Thanks to Eleni at /- LA FEMME READERS -/ for this wonderful book!

(All comments welcome!)

In my Mailbox!

2009-09-04T09:48:00.018-04:00

So I just received a few new books in my mailbox and have seen this meme floating around so I thought I'd give it a go. The Credit goes to: Story Siren for 'In My Mailbox'! Okay, on to what I got this week in my wonderful Mailbox:

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Synopsis (spoilers if you have not read The Hunger Games):

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
Synopsis:
When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it -- until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.

The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks

Synopsis:
For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art-and he is the city's most accomplished artist. For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned to judge people quickly - and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint.But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassins' world of dangerous politics and strange magics - and cultivate a flair for death.

My ABC's!

2009-09-02T21:45:00.013-04:00

Sara at My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale!, Christine at booktumbling , and Lori at Psychotic State tagged me for this ABC meme so here goes.

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you

2. Share your ABCs

3. Tag three people at the end by linking to their blogs

4. Let the three tagged people know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website

5. Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag

Available or single? To be determined, ha, ha!

Best Friend? Yep, Christina and my Mom!!

Cake or Pie? Cake all the way, baby!

Drink of choice? Water always! Root beer, too, but only in a glass bottle. Don't know why but it taste much better that way!

Essential item for every day use? Ummmm.... Computer and my hair dryer..LOL~!

Favorite color? Red

Google? Not really. I'm a yahoo kind of girl! LOL!

Hometown? I'm not telling you, ha, ha!

Indulgences? Books and movies.

January or February? January

Kids and their names? Aubriannah and my little puppy Nala!

Life is incomplete without…? Family, friends, books, chocolate, laughs, and my little puppy!

Marriage? Once upon a time.....*Shrug*

Number of siblings? 2 brothers

Oranges or apples? Oranges and Green apples! I hate red apples, yuck!

Phobias and fears? Ummmm......Like Sara, I'm super scared of things I can't see in the ocean, sharks, stinging jellyfish, and such. Yikes!

Quote for the day? Life is much too short!

Reason to smile? All the great people I've met through my blog! (I stole this answer from Lori, but it's true!)

Season? Summer and Winter...Ha, Ha, I can't decide I love the Fall too!

Tag 3 people?

Ryan at Wordsmithonia

Mel at My world

Michelle at The Book Addict

And anyone else who would like to join in!

Unknown fact about me? I can't go anywhere without a book in my purse, you never know when you may need it! I also Love to do makeup, it's so enjoyable!

Vegetable you hate? Squash, yuck!

Worst habit? Procrastination!

X-rays you’ve had? Back, and teeth!

Your fave food? Chicken!

Zodiac sign? Cancer!

Well, there you have it, My ABC's!

I won my first Book Contest! Woot! Woot!

2009-09-01T21:49:00.013-04:00

Thanks to...MY NAME IS ELENI AND I AM A BOOKAHOLIC... at /- LA FEMME READERS -/ I just won my First book contest! Woot! Woot! I really can't wait to read this! I can't even believe I won! Thank you so much, Eleni!

Legacy by Cayla Kluver!

Summary for those of you who aren't familiar with the book:
"An award-winning YA fantasy debut, 16-year-old novelist Cayla Kluver brings a magical touch to an unrelentingly suspenseful coming-of-age tale. Duty-bound to wed her father’s choice in successor to the throne, Princess Alera of Hytanica believes that she is being forced into the worst of all possible fates—a marriage to the arrogant and hot-tempered suitor, Steldor. When a mysterious boy from enemy Cokyri appears bearing secrets and an entirely different view of what's appropriate behavior for a young lady, Alera learns that her private desires threaten to destroy the kingdom. When Narian’s shocking past comes to light, Alera finds herself in a shadowy world of palace intrigue and ancient blood feuds, facing an uncertain future with dwindling options—and must learn to decide between right and wrong all alone. Marked by witty, rapid-fire dialogue and dramatic complexity that belie the writer’s age, Legacy brings a fresh, new sensibility to age-old questions of duty and inheritance and to a young heroine’s quest to find her true voice."

Teaser Tuesdays: Graphic Novel

2009-09-01T09:21:00.006-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Here is how it works.
Grab your current read
Open to a random page Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm reading The Discworld Grahpic Novels - The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett! See the inside here

"Great A'Tuin the Turtle comes, swimming through the interstellar gulf.... Through sea-sized eyes, he stares fixedly at the destination. In a brain bigger than a city, he thinks only of the weight. Most of the weight is, of course, accounted for by Berilia, Tubul, Great T'phon, and Jerakeen, on whose star-tanned sholders the Disc of the world rests."

This is a picture of the scene of my Teaser Tuesday. Awesome, eh?

Blogger Friends!

2009-08-31T10:22:00.010-04:00

Jamie at Revenge of the Book Nerds! posted a really fun blogger activity, that I found on My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale!:

"I'd Like To See What My Blogger Friends Look Like, Wouldn't You???"

"I just think it's fun to share what we look like with each other. Sure, we have our profile photos, but they are tiny! Let's have some fun and see what we look like."

I thought this was a really cool idea and I'm also glad to participate in Jaime's feature, so here I go! By the way, if you do this, link me to your post in my comments, please! I'd love to see you all : )

Me, of course! LOL!

This is my Little girl Aubriannah! She will be two in November! They grow so fast, I'm telling you!

Me again!

Aubriannah and me last Halloween!

This is my little puppy, Nala! She is an Eskimo Spitz and the cutest thing ever...LOL!

Book Review: The Graveyard Book!

2009-08-29T15:03:00.004-04:00

Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Dave McKean
Genre(s): Fantasy, Horror
Age Rank: 9 and up
Publisher:Harper Collins
Publication date:September 30, 2008

Re-read? Sure. Like any children's book, you could read this many times over.
Recommended? Highly. Anyone looking for a fun, fast, and enjoyable read.

My Synopsis:
A boy they call Nobody Owens, Bod for short, is a normal boy like you and me. Well, except for the fact he's raised and taught by ghosts in a Graveyard. When I say taught, I don't just mean the normal things you learn in school like English, History, and Science. Oh, no, there's also fading, dream-walking, and how to put fear into your classmate bullies. Like any young boy there's mischief and trouble to be had, especially in a graveyard-- a secret gateway to long forgotten ghouls, a mysterious grave of the oldest inhabitant that if you enter you may never return. But what awaits Bod on the outside of the Graveyard could be even more dangerous then whats on the inside....

My Thoughts:
The Graveyard Book, a wonderful tale of a boys adventure through life that I found to be absolutely delightful and fun. This is a children's book, but it does have a darker, gritter side, like a ghost story told to children around a campfire. (There is a smaller children's version of the book found here, maybe not so gritty.) But, of course, all books have there villains, and Gaiman does a brilliant job of giving you just enough to give you the shivers. He has a very sound writing style with a dialogue that's perfect for anyone. Engaging world, fun characters, and the tale exceeds at a rapid pace with adventure steady to the very end. To top it all off we're left with an ending like no other! Now I know why The Graveyard Book won a John Newbery Medal, and in the end I was very happy to have read it!

Also, here's a link to Neil Gaiman on The Colbert Report: It's funny and tells a little bit about The Graveyard Book. Enjoy!

(P.S. I've changed my review up a little - I did my own Synopsis this time. All comments welcome!!)

The Wonderful World of Awards!

2009-08-28T15:01:00.008-04:00

I would like to thank Miranda over at Paige Turners (great new blog, by the way!) for This One Lovely Blog Award! Thank you, Miranda! I would like to pass it on to the following:

SarBear over at My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale
JuJu over at Tales of whimsy...
Debbook over at Bookmagic

All beautiful and intelligent blogs, so be sure to check them out!

Thank you, BookAddict, Pageturners and Teen Read and Write (awesome blogs, by the way!), for this great award! The Lemonade Award is a feel good award that shows great attitude or gratitude. I'd like to pass this award on to:

Ryan over at Wordsmithonia
Miranda over at Paige Turners
Alexia over at Alexia's Books and Such...

Be sure to check out all of these Blogs as well, they're all fantastic!!!

I received the Human Award from my dear friend Ryan over at Wordsmithonia! Thank you, Ryan! The Humane Award is to honor certain bloggers that I feel are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn’t for them, my site would just be an ordinary book review blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendships through the blog world. This award I pass on to:

Logan over at Rememorandom
Book Addict over at The Book Addict
Kim over at The Twirling Dragon

Everyone of these Blogs are super cool as well as the Bloggers, so be sure to check'em out!

Waiting on Wednesday!

2009-08-26T18:29:00.012-04:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Here's my pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection:

Canticle ( Psalms of Isaak series #2) By Ken Scholes!

Author: Ken Scholes

Pub. Date: October 13, 2009

Publisher: TOR Books

Genre: Adult Fantasy/Science Fiction
Cover(s) Artist: Greg Manchess Awesome covers, by the way!

I can't wait for this next installment! I don't like giving the Synopsis for Series, because, for those who haven't read the first one, they usually give too much away. So, below is the Wonderful cover and Synopsis of the first book.

Lamentation (Psalms of Isaak series #1) By Ken Scholes

Synopses (Publisher Comments):

"An ancient weapon has completely destroyed the city of Windwir. From many miles away, Rudolfo, Lord of the Nine Forest Houses, sees the horrifying column of smoke rising. He knows that war is coming to the Named Lands.

Nearer to the Devastation, a young apprentice is the only survivor of the city — he sat waiting for his father outside the walls, and was transformed as he watched everyone he knew die in an instant.

Soon all the Kingdoms of the Named Lands will be at each others' throats, as alliances are challenged and hidden plots are uncovered.

This remarkable first novel from an award-winning short fiction writer will take readers away to a new world — an Earth so far in the distant future that our time is not even a memory; a world where magick is commonplace and great areas of the planet are impassable wastes. But human nature hasn't changed through the ages: War and faith and love still move princes and nations. "

Teaser Tuesdays

2009-08-25T09:06:00.005-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Here is how it works.
Grab your current read
Open to a random page Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman!

"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife. The knife had a handle of polished black bone, and a blade finer and sharper than any razor."

So begins The Graveyard book!

(P.S. I've been super busy this past week, so I'll try this week to get a review or two up. We will see.... Thanks for stopping by!)

Crystal Shade: Angeni by Istvan Sazabo

2009-08-21T12:57:00.004-04:00

Okay, so I found this awesome new upcoming (fall 2009) Epic High Fantasy novel that looks like it could have promise called Crystal Shade: Angeni by Istvan Sazabo! Check out this awesome website for it: Crystal Shade: Angeni - Official Website

Here is the Synopsis to the Novel:

"Thousands of stars could tell thousands of stories."

" Under the Brilliance of a sapphire star, in the last golden age of mankind, on a world of peace and prosperity; legends and tales are more than myth. Where valiant heroes are reborn after their death, one young guardian angel, believing in the approaching shadow of fear and destruction, must face the brilliance and shadow of her soul and must fight her darkest fears. She must delve to the core of her true existence to learn the meaning of belief and sacrifice. Only then can she bring hope and light into a future that may never come. To discover the truth of a hidden past mystery to protect and guide the fragile present she lives and learn what the dreaded legendary Crystal Shade really is."

Award Time!!

2009-08-21T09:11:00.016-04:00

This is the BINGO Beauty Award. I have been awarded This award from Melissa over at My World . Thank You, Melissa!! This award means my blog is:

B: Beautiful

I: Informative

N: Neighborly

G: Gorgeous

O: Outstanding

B: Beautiful - SarBear over at My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale (ha, ha, and you thought you were done getting awards!)
I: Informative - BookChick over at Book Chick City
N: Neighborly - Debbook over at Bookmagic
G: Gorgeous - JuJu over at Tales of whimsy...
O: Outstanding - Logan over at Rememorandom

Be sure to check them out there all AWESOME Blogs!

And Now The Super Comment Award!

SarBear over at My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale gave me this award for Super comments, Woot, Woot!-- Thank you, SarBear! Be sure to see her awesome site while you're at it!

Okay, Now here are my nominees for some of my super commenters:

MelHay over at My World
Ryan over at Wordsmithonia
Karoline over at Okbo Lover
Miranda over at Paige Turners
Alexia over at Alexia's Books and Such...

Be sure to check out all of these Blogs as well, they're all fantastic!!!

Waiting on Wednesday!

2009-08-19T09:56:00.007-04:00

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Here's my pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection:

Catcing Fire (book two of The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins, out September 1st!

Here's the book trailer for Catching Fire because if you haven't read The Hunger Games then the Synopsis would give too much away , I think.

I also wrote a Review for The Hunger Games (book one) here, and here I'll share the book tralier for it too.

Awesome book I can't wait for Catching Fire!!!

Teaser Tuesdays

2009-08-18T08:40:00.012-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Here is how it works.

Grab your current read
Open to a random pageShare two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm re-reading The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss!

"This is who I came to see, Chronicler thought to himself, this is the man who conseled kings and walked old roads with nothing but his wit to guide him. This is the man whose name has become both praise and curse at the University."

(pg.103-104, Great book!)

Book Review: Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson!

2009-08-17T20:58:00.002-04:00

Genre: Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Tor Books
Hard Cover: 592 pages
Publication Date: June 9, 2009
My Rating: 10/10 One of My all time favorites!

Recommended: Oh, yes, for sure! There isn't anyone I wouldn't recommend Brandon Sanderson to!

Re-Read? Most Definitely, without a doubt!

Synopsis (book cover):

"Warbreaker is the story of two sisters who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn't like his job, and the immortal who's still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago. Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city and where power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people. By using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished. It will take considerable quantities of each to resolve all the challenges facing Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris; Susebron the God King; Lightsong, reluctant god of bravery; and the mysterious Vasher."

My thoughts (spoiler free):
Warbreaker is a standalone novel (though there has been talk about a second one in the far off future) written by the bestselling author of Elantris and The Mistborn Trilogy(AWESOME!) and the author finishing up The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson!

First off, I'd like to tell you that Sanderson is My all Time Favorite Author! I've enjoyed All of his work immensely! Anyway, on to the review:

This is easily Sanderson's best work to date. If you haven't read any of Sanderson's work, then you may not know that he's known for his well thought out, thought provoking, and unique magic systems. There is no exception to that fact in Warbreaker - a world where Color and Breath is magic. In Warbreaker the magic system plays a big part and is absolutely breathtaking, but what really stands out is his spiraling plot twists and his Three dimensional characters. The plot literally takes you on a roller coaster, and once you think you've figured out whats going to happen next, you'll only soon realize you were highly mistaken. The Characters all grow and mature in a way that's authentic, intriguing, and there are absolutely no one dimensional characters. He gives each character their own time in the spot light, and their development you can see from beginning to end. His writing style is simple yet affective. Some authors, even Sanderson, claim that humor is the hardest part to write, but Sanderson has found a way to pass humor off remarkably well in this tale. His religions are also something to marvel at, they're all well thought out, indeed.

Warbreaker is definitely a book to put on the top of any ones reading list. Likable and superb characters, comic relief that's on-key, unique religions, awesome magic system, and plot twists that won't leave you disappointed in any way. This is a tale that will leave you absolutely flabbergasted, and hoping Sanderson won't just leave this book in standalone form! Sanderon is a master storyteller, no doubt about it.

Also, the cover is absolutely spell-binding, and one of My all time Favorites, so here's the making of it by Dan Dos Santos! So AWESOME! Enjoy!

(All feedback welcome! Thanks! Also, If you wrote a review please leave the link I'd love to read it!)

The Zombie Chicken Award

2009-08-16T00:21:00.010-04:00

Thanks to Ryan over at Wordsmithonia for this award! It's too funny!

The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all.

I'll pass it on to a few of my favorite blogs to read.... umm lets see.....

Logan over at Rememorandom

Deb over at Bookmagic

The Writer over at The Writer's Notebook

David over at My Little Corner of the World
Melissa over at My World

They all have great stuff on thier blogs, so don't forget to check'em out!

Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2009-08-13T09:21:00.003-04:00

Genre: Young Adult (12 and up), Science fiction
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: September 14, 2008
Hard Cover: 374 pages
My Rating: 5/5 Really, really good!

Recommended? Absolutely! For anyone who is looking for a Quick paced, can't put down Read!

Reread? Definitely! I've reread this book myself, and I found the second time to be just as awesome as the first!

Synopsis (book cover):
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

My Thoughts (spoiler free):
The Hunger Games is the first novel in a trilogy written by the bestselling author of The Underland Chronicles, Suzanne Collins.

This book will keep you enthralled the whole time with Suzanne Collin's fast-paced, suspense filled plot, and memorable characters. Katniss, the narrator of this tale, is easily an outstanding character living in a future world of hard times, and takes control of her life by doing what has to be done in order to stay alive. This book is well written in a way that the words fall away, and you're left in the middle of this battle between life and death. The depiction of the world Collin's has created is believable and realistic of what our world could become. I was captivated and mesmerized by the intensiveness of the plot, and fueled by all her characters. Once you get started on this tale there will be no turning back, so be prepared to lose all sense of time.

This is the best Young adult book I've read to date. Strong characters, great action, crazy plot twists that will keep you at the edge of your seat. When you get to the end you'll be anxiously awaiting the next book "Catching Fire," out September 1st, to this extreme trilogy. I highly recommend!

(This is my first attempt at a book review, so any and all feedback would be great! Thanks!)

Teaser Tuesdays

2009-08-11T13:18:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Here is how it works.

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm Reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

"Names are important as they tell you a great deal about a person. I've had more names than anyone has a right to."

How's life, you say!

2009-08-08T09:21:00.001-04:00

Well, guys, this is officially my very first post due to the encouragement of a couple friends Ryan over at wordsmithonia and Melissa over at My world, so here goes nothing and Thanks guys!! I'm not really sure where this blog is going or even if I'll have anything that interesting to tell everyone, but I thought I'd try and give it a go.

But, hey, enough about that on to something more exciting like trying to potty train your little one! Oh, yes, I said it! I'm trying to get Aubriannah out of diapers and into undies, but boy is it harder than you may think, because I never know when she has to go...LOL! Now is about the time I wish I had some mind reading powers that you only find in movies or books! Plus, I just finished potty training our new found puppy Nala can you believe it, what's that saying "two birds with one stone"...LOL! Ha, that's laughable. It just seems like yesterday I was taking her bottle and pacifier away! Boy, do they grow up fast, and I mean Fast! Before I know it she'll be headed off to High School and I'll be left in the dust by best friends and boy friends. Oh, no, boy friends, I'm not looking forward to the birds and bees talk, yikes! But, well, I guess someone has to do it, and I do love her too much to put into words! Life is great with these two around Lots, and I do mean lots of laughs! Aubriannahs in the dancing stage, so cute! She's also learning how to swim, oh my goodness she's growing up....!

Anyhow, I'm in the beginning of The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss for my third time, and, I tell you what, it's even better than I remember! Rothfuss' writing style is fantastic! The way Rothfuss starts off his story is by easing everyone in and grabbing your attention with soothing yet powerful words, and once he has you he holds you. Rothfuss has tons of little quotes that are just amazing like page 26 "It was deadly as a sharp stone beneath swift water." A Simple little sentence, but what it gives you is a wonderful visual, as well as a great meaning. It's the actual flow of the words that keep you so immersed. It doesn't feel as though you're reading this story, but actually there beside Kvothe as he's telling his life story. Kvothe, the main character, is an innkeeper telling his life story to a stranger, but mind you, this is no ordinary life story this story is filled with magic, love and music. Kvothe may be young, but he's old in mind, and he tells his story as though a grandfather would to his grandchildren - with heart, love, and sadness of now and memories left behind. And what's more comforting and enchanting then sitting on your grandfathers knees and listening to an old War story, I say!?! Also, one of my favorite parts about Rothfuss' writing style is his use of Music. When the music comes around he uses it in such an exhilarating and captivating way, and it's absolutely unbelievable how he can describe music as though you are right there listening to it. Seriously, I can't even put into words how intoxicating it really is! So, I urge any and everyone that hasn't read this book to do so, I promise you, you won't be disappointed!

Well, I guess that's it for now I hope everyone has enjoyed and hopefully I can come up with more things to write about at a later date!